Secrets, Stars, and Aero Bars
by JustLetMeBeJust
Summary: Why had Simon not thought about the curfew when he was sneaking out? Following Baz around to figure out his plan (because he had to have a plan, right?) had seemed like such a good idea at the time. But now he was locked out. And it was dark. And the worst part? Baz was here with him.


**Author's note. It's official; there is nowhere near enough Simon Snow fanfiction out there. So this little thing popped into my head, and I decided to post it as my way of counteracting that problem. It's based on the Fangirl extract by the same name - hope you like my take on it! **

It had been two hours since they watched the drawbridge lock into the fortress.

Two hours of squabbling about whose fault it had been.

Baz would pout and say, "We wouldn't have missed curfew if you hadn't gotten in my way."

And Simon would growl and say, "I wouldn't have to get in your way if you weren't wandering the grounds nefariously."

But the truth, Simon knew, was that they'd just gotten so caught up in their arguing that they'd lost track of time, and now they'd have to spend the night out here. There was no getting around the curfew - no matter how many times Baz clicked his heels and said, "There's no place like home." (That was a seventh-year spell anyway; there was no way Baz could pull it off.)

Simon sighed and dropped down onto the grass. Baz was still muttering and staring up at the fortress like he might yet spot a way in.

"Oi." Simon said, thumping Baz's knee.

"Ow. What?"

"I've got an Aero bar," Simon said. "Want half?"

Baz peered down, his long face as grey as his eyes in the gloaming. He flicked his black hair back and frowned, settling down next to Simon on the hill. "What kind?"

"Mint." Simon dug the candy out of the pocket in his cape.

"That's my favourite." Baz admitted, grudgingly.

Simon flashed him a wide, white grin. "Mine too."

Baz almost smiled in return. "Guess we know why they made us roommates."

"Must be." Simon agreed, breaking the bar in half before opening it and passing a piece over. Baz hesitated slightly, a crease appearing on his forehead, before accepting the chocolate and biting off a tiny section. Simon had no time for relishing the taste or whatever Baz was doing - he stuffed a square into his mouth and chewed.

"So." Simon began, trying to keep his tone as causal as possible to avoid another argument. "Any ideas for where we sleep tonight?"

"None." Baz sighed gloomily. "There's no way across the moat, no buildings this side of it. We'd better just hope it doesn't rain." He fell silent for a few seconds. "Unless the great Simon Snow knows a spell to get us past the castle walls."

Don't let him rile you, Simon begged himself. You'll get in even more trouble for being out here alone than together. Just stay calm. "I'm in the same classes as you. Surely you know just how awful I am at spells?"

Baz grunted, flopping down so he was lying on his back. His hair blended into the grass in the twilight, sharp features casting shadows over his face and masking the grey of his eyes in black. He looks like a corpse, Simon thought, and shivered.

"Don't tell me you're cold." Baz groaned. Simon hadn't seen the boy's eyes move from the stars, but Baz often seemed to have a sixth sense when he really didn't want him to.

"I'm not cold."

Baz let out a sigh that was too loud to be real. "Great. So you're scared, and I'm supposed to comfort you."

"I'm fine!" Simon harrumphed, throwing himself onto his back to stare at the stars. "There's nothing to be scared of, anyway."

Baz shifted to stare at him, disbelieving. Simon glared back, "There isn't!"

"Of course not." Baz rolled his eyes. "There's no merwolves. No crested woodfowl. No dragons."

"Bloody hell, Baz, did you have to say that?" Simon would have sat up and hugged his knees to his chest; would have, if Baz hadn't put the thoughts of monsters into his head. Now he worried that even the slightest movement would signal to them - 'Roll up, roll up, two teenage wizards just waiting to be eaten!'

"If my roommate is being a ridiculously ignorant, I think it's my duty to remind him of what he's learnt in all the years of magical creature lessons." Baz replied. A brief pause. "Are you really scared now?"

Another pause. "Not really. Just ... concerned."

"About your beloved roommate being eaten in the night?" Baz had turned back to the sky, but Simon could still see his mouth twitch into a smirk.

"I was thinking more about me being eaten, but I don't suppose they'd be grateful if I let you die."

"Of course not. I'm far too valuable to the school. I'm their top student, didn't you know?"

Even through his fear Simon couldn't stop a smile flickering onto his face. "That's why you've nearly been expelled five times."

"They just love me." Baz agreed, and the smile turned into the merest of giggles. "Especially the library staff. Miss Finchly positively beams whenever I walk into the room."

"I still can't believe they let you back in there after what happened!"

"Crowley, it was only a little fire, Snow. Don't be so dramatic."

"Half of the east wing went up in flames!" Simon laughed, and Baz glanced sideways at him in surprise. His silver eyes were proud, as if he was bragging to the stars about his impish antics.

"It was hardly my fault. I was an innocent little first year, and I believed what the older children told me. How was I to know it wasn't a vanishing spell?"

"Come on, Baz! The spell had the word 'flames' in it. Surely you were never innocent enough to believe that it was going to make the book disappear?"

"I suppose." Baz admitted, smirking. "Still, at least I wasn't imbecilic enough to believe that I could sneak out of Mr Goldem's detention."

Simon felt the blood rush to his cheeks, and was grateful for the gloom that made it almost impossible to see. "It was only three minutes before we were meant to leave, and he'd left the room anyway."

"I'm sure." Baz chortled to himself. "Your hair didn't go back to normal for a term."

"The curls went earlier. There's still a few pink highlights left underneath it." Simon reached up reflectively to tug a lock of his hair down over his face. "The best part was that nobody was surprised. They all knew what had happened without me saying a word."

"You're not the first person to suffer one of Goldem's ridiculous punishments. Have you seen-"

"The first year walking around with elf ears?"

"Yes!" Both boys burst out laughing, and the sound carried through the empty night. "And her friend?"

"The little one with the brown hair?" Baz nodded, and Simon frowned in thought. "No. What happened to him?"

"Alabaster almighty, Snow, how have you not noticed? He's been walking around with bright purple eyebrows for the last two days!"

"I thought that was just a stupid prank from his roommate or something! I didn't know it was-" Simon disintegrated into laughter again. "Poor little guy."

"He'll get over it before long." They settled into silence, but it was gentler than it had been before. Neither was plotting ingenious ways to take their revenge now; they were calmer, softer, out here than they had ever been when they were cramped into their dorm room.

"Look! Up there!" Simon scrambled to point out the shooting star above them before it disappeared. "You need to make a wish."

Baz closed his eyes for a few seconds, and Simon couldn't stop himself gazing at the boy as his brow creased in concentration. _What is he so focused on?_

The grey eyes opened again, as bright as silver coins. Baz saw Simon staring at him, but instead of the disapproving glares of late he let his mouth twist into a smile. "Your turn, Snow."

"I don't know what to wish for." Simon replied, honestly. Out here, with none of the pressures he felt inside the school, it was so easy to leave behind all of his worries. So easy to forget about all the drama and the responsibility. He wasn't Simon Snow, the Mage's Heir, as he lay underneath the blanket of stars. He was just Simon. And it was so peaceful, so relaxing, to not have to _be_, but to just _exist_.

Baz was still looking at him, he realised. Looking at him with those intense grey eyes and smiling knowingly.

"What?"

"Wish for here, then. Wish for being yourself instead of what people want you to be."

And he wanted to, he really did. But ... "They need me to be that boy. The one who tries to protect them. And I can't be myself without letting them all down."

Where had that tear come from? He wasn't sure at what point it appeared, but he could feel the cold water running down his cheek as he thought about the impossible dreams he had. And then Baz's hand was on his shoulder, cold from the night air, and he realised that maybe the person he thought was his enemy was the only one who actually understood.

"When you're not at school you don't need to be the hero. When you're not there, you don't need to do anything. You can just be. And nobody will mind, because nobody will know."

"I'm always at school. You know that. There's always someone there, someone I need to impress..."

Baz sighed a long, deep breath, thinking. "There's times when it's just me. How about we make it a rule that nobody has to impress the other? You don't have to pretend, and I don't have to keep up my act."

"You don't have an act."

"I pretend to be brave, Snow."

"You are brave."

"No." Baz's smile was small and broken, and the sight made Simon want to reach out and comfort him (a completely new feeling because, well, this was Baz), only he didn't know how. "I pretend to be. But there's times when I can't pretend anymore, and times when you don't want to, and surely it's best if we just ... Stop. For a while, at least."

He wasn't as intimindating as he often seemed, Simon realised. For all his bravado, the boy he shared a room with was just that; a boy. One who was sometimes bitter and sometimes angry, but more often than not just needed a break.

Simon twisted awkwardly to extend his hand. Without a trace of hesitation Baz took it, and they shook hands solemnly under the light of the stars.

"To be ourselves around each other, and not the people that we're expected to be."

"Deal."

"Deal."


End file.
